User Documentation

=========
qvm-prefs
=========
NAME
====
qvm-prefs - list/set various per-VM properties
SYNOPSIS
========
| qvm-prefs -l [options] <vm-name>
| qvm-prefs -g [options] <vm-name> <property>
| qvm-prefs -s [options] <vm-name> <property> [...]
OPTIONS
=======
-h, --help
Show this help message and exit
-l, --list
List properties of a specified VM
-g, --get
Get a single property of a specified VM
-s, --set
Set properties of a specified VM
--force-root
Force to run, even with root privileges
--offline-mode
Offline mode
PROPERTIES
==========
include_in_backups
Accepted values: ``True``, ``False``
Control whenever this VM will be included in backups by default (for now
works only in qubes-manager). You can always manually select or
deselect any VM for backup.
pcidevs
PCI devices assigned to the VM. Should be edited using qvm-pci tool.
pci_strictreset
Accepted values: ``True``, ``False``
Control whether prevent assigning to VM a device which does not support any
reset method. Generally such devices should not be assigned to any VM,
because there will be no way to reset device state after VM shutdown, so
the device could attack next VM to which it will be assigned. But in some
cases it could make sense - for example when the VM to which it is assigned
is trusted one, or is running all the time.
pci_e820_host
Accepted values: ``True``, ``False``
Give VM with PCI devices a memory map (e820) of the host. This is
required for some devices to properly resolve conflicts in address space.
This option is enabled by default for VMs with PCI devices and have no
effect for VMs without devices.
label
Accepted values: ``red``, ``orange``, ``yellow``, ``green``, ``gray``,
``blue``, ``purple``, ``black``
Color of VM label (icon, appmenus, windows border). If VM is running,
change will be applied at first VM restart.
netvm
Accepted values: netvm name, ``default``, ``none``
To which NetVM connect. Setting to ``default`` will follow system-global
default NetVM (managed by qubes-prefs). Setting to ``none`` will disable
networking in this VM.
dispvm_netvm
Accepted values: netvm name, ``default``, ``none``
Which NetVM should be used for Disposable VMs started by this one.
``default`` is to use the same NetVM as the VM itself.
maxmem
Accepted values: memory size in MB
Maximum memory size available for this VM. Dynamic memory management (aka
qmemman) will not be able to balloon over this limit. For VMs with
qmemman disabled, this will be overridden by *memory* property (at VM
startup).
memory
Accepted values: memory size in MB
Initial memory size for VM. This should be large enough to allow VM startup
- before qmemman starts managing memory for this VM. For VM with qmemman
disabled, this is static memory size.
kernel
Accepted values: kernel version, ``default``, ``none``
Kernel version to use (only for PV VMs). Available kernel versions will be
listed when no value given (there are in /var/lib/qubes/vm-kernels).
Setting to ``default`` will follow system-global default kernel (managed
via qubes-prefs). Setting to ``none`` will use "kernels" subdir in
VM directory - this allows having VM-specific kernel; also this the only
case when /lib/modules is writable from within VM.
template
Accepted values: TemplateVM name
TemplateVM on which VM base. It can be changed only when VM isn't running.
vcpus
Accepted values: no of CPUs
Number of CPU (cores) available to VM. Some VM types (eg DispVM) will not
work properly with more than one CPU.
kernelopts
Accepted values: string, ``default``
VM kernel parameters (available only for PV VMs). This can be used to
workaround some hardware specific problems (eg for NetVM). Setting to
``default`` will use some reasonable defaults (currently different for VMs
with PCI devices and without). For VM without PCI devices
``default`` option means inherit this value from the VM template (if any).
Some helpful options (for debugging purposes): ``earlyprintk=xen``,
``init=/bin/bash``
name
Accepted values: alphanumerical name
Name of the VM. Can be only changed when VM isn't running.
drive
Accepted values: [hd:\|cdrom:][backend-vm:]path
Additional drive for the VM (available only for HVMs). This can be used to
attach installation image. ``path`` can be file or physical device (eg.
/dev/sr0). The same syntax can be used in qvm-start --drive - to
attach drive only temporarily.
mac
Accepted values: MAC address, ``auto``
Can be used to force specific of virtual ethernet card in the VM. Setting
to ``auto`` will use automatic-generated MAC - based on VM id. Especially
useful when licensing requires a static MAC address.
For template-based HVM ``auto`` mode means to clone template MAC.
default_user
Accepted values: username
Default user used by qvm-run. Note that it make sense only on non-standard
template, as the standard one always have "user" account.
debug
Accepted values: ``on``, ``off``
Enables debug mode for VM. This can be used to turn on/off verbose logging
in many Qubes components at once (gui virtualization, VM kernel, some other
services).
For template-based HVM, enabling debug mode also disables automatic reset
root.img (actually volatile.img) before each VM startup, so changes made to
root filesystem stays intact. To force reset root.img when debug mode
enabled, either change something in the template (simple start+stop will
do, even touch its root.img is enough), or remove VM's volatile.img
(check the path with qvm-prefs).
qrexec_installed
Accepted values: ``True``, ``False``
This HVM have qrexec agent installed. When VM have qrexec agent installed,
one can use qvm-run to start VM process, VM will benefit from Qubes RPC
services (like file copy, or inter-vm clipboard). This option will be
automatically turned on during Qubes Windows Tools installation, but if you
install qrexec agent in some other OS, you need to turn this option on
manually.
guiagent_installed
Accepted values: ``True``, ``False``
This HVM have gui agent installed. This option disables full screen GUI
virtualization and enables per-window seemless GUI mode. This option will
be automatically turned on during Qubes Windows Tools installation, but if
you install Qubes gui agent in some other OS, you need to turn this option
on manually. You can turn this option off to troubleshoot some early HVM OS
boot problems (enter safe mode etc), but the option will be automatically
enabled at first VM normal startup (and will take effect from the next
startup).
*Notice:* when Windows GUI agent is installed in the VM, SVGA device (used
to full screen video) is disabled, so even if you disable this
option, you will not get functional full desktop access (on normal VM
startup). Use some other means for that (VNC, RDP or so).
autostart
Accepted values: ``True``, ``False``
Start the VM during system startup. The default netvm is autostarted
regardless of this setting.
timezone
Accepted values: ``localtime``, time offset in seconds
Set emulated HVM clock timezone. Use ``localtime`` (the default) to use the
same time as dom0 have. Note that HVM will get only clock value, not the
timezone itself, so if you use ``localtime`` setting, OS inside of HVM
should also be configured to treat hardware clock as local time (and have
proper timezone set).
AUTHORS
=======
| Joanna Rutkowska <joanna at invisiblethingslab dot com>
| Rafal Wojtczuk <rafal at invisiblethingslab dot com>
| Marek Marczykowski <marmarek at invisiblethingslab dot com>

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